Ilon Wikland

Who is Ilon Wikland?

Ilon Wikland is a Swedish artist and illustrator, she was born on February 5, 1930 in Tartu, Estonia, but raised Haapsalu on Estonia's Baltic coast.In 1944 she escaped with the family of a classmate from the second soviet occupation, to Sweden.she went to Sweden in 1944 as a refugee.. In 1953, Ilon applied for a job as illustrator at Rabén & Sjögren. She was met by Astrid, who had just finished writing the book Mio, my Son and who could see immediately that Ilon was able to “draw fairytales”. Ilon did a test-drawing for the book and after that her collaboration with Astrid Lindgren continued. Ilon has said that Astrid’s writing continually makes her see inner pictures. She also derives inspiration for her pictures from real life. In the same way that Astrid Lindgren wrote for “the child within her”, Ilon often also draws for the child within her. Ilon Wikland is the artist who has illustrated the greatest number of Astrid Lindgren’s books. Here is a list of them: The Six Bullerby Children, The Children on Troublemaker Street, The Brothers Lionheart, Karlsson-on-the-roof, Mardie, Mio my Son, Nils Karlsson Pyssling, Ronia the Robber’s Daughter, Seacrow Island, The Ghost of Skinny Jack as well as Sunnanäng. She has also provided the illustrations for many picture-books, including: The Dragon with Red Eyes, I Want a Brother or Sister/That’s My Baby, Brenda Helps Grandmother and Simon Small Moves in.and she is also known for The Children of Noisy Village.